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christine lavin - grandpa & the empire state building lyrics

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grandpa & the empire state building lyrics
oh i live on the street where
my grandfather worked
more than 50 years ago
the 59th floor of the
empire state building
did i ever visit him there? no
but my cousin georgie
has a black and white photograph
where he’s sitting in grandpa’s chair
grandpa’s beside him
they are both smiling
both looking proud to be there

the empire state building
opened its doors
on may 1st, 1931
it came in under budget
ahead of schedule
in 410 days
the building was done

most of the 3,400 workers
were immigrants
who put in long hours
with many canadian mohawk
skywalkers with dazzling
balancing powers
just two years later, 1933
the movie king kong was released
a blonde beauty named fay raye
beguiled that gorilla
the empire state buildings’s
fame then increased

but it was the great depression
and it took 17 more years
for the offices all to fill up
in 1950 the building broke even
(today on the ground floor
there is a starbucks)

in july ’45 a b+25 bomber
crashed into the 79th floor
caused a 4+alarm fire
where 14 people died
a miracle it wasn’t more

’cause a young bride named
betty lou oliver was operating
an elevator that sat+rday
it fell 75 floors but the
springy coils of busted cables
saved her life i’m happy to say
but life ended for a 23 year old
on may 1, 1947
who leapt from the 86th floor
observation deck
an unhappy young woman
named evelyn

wearing pearls and white gloves
she made quite a scene
when she landed upon
a black limousine
her note said
“he’s much better off without me
i don’t think i would make a
good wife for anybody”

in 1976 that same observation deck
welcomed it’s 50 millionth
guest in style
a husband and wife
tourists from germany
helga and ingo
for the cameras they smiled

four years later
the building gets its own zip code
one zero one one eight
on feb 14, 1994
the first valentine’s day
weddings take place
on august 10, 2004
the empire state building
dimmed its lights
to honor the late fay raye
who accompanied king kong
the first time he scaled those heights

but if you asked my family
what story they remember
when it comes to this
famous landmark
they’ll tell you the one
about our dear grandpa
the crawford family patriarch

no one is quite sure
what year this happened
though we’re sure grandpa
was pretty old
at 10 am on a weekday
the elevator operators
went on strike we are told

it was a surprise
no one was prepared
no one knew how long it would last
but as lunchtime approached
stomachs were rumbling
dear grandpa had to think fast

see, he had a small office
with one secretary
who liked to eat lunch every day
in a diner she now
looked down on with longing
59 stories away

so he put down his work
and took her order
then headed out the door
many years earlier
he played football for nyu
knew his strong crawford legs
were secure, he’d endure

two hours later grandpa was back
his hungry secretary got fed
she didn’t mind
that the coffee was cold
or that he ordered the wrong kind of bread

and for the rest of the time
she worked in his office
she fondly remembered that day
when our grandpa – just for her ++
went so far out of his way

and all these years later
here i am
living right down the street
from this iconic building
known the world round
where paupers, poets
and princes might meet

where movies and weddings
reunions and tragic events
have all taken place
did i mention
in early february each year
up the 86 flights there is a foot race

and i wonder now who sits
in grandpa’s chair
and what kind of work do they do?
and how many stories
have played out
here at 350 fifth avenue?

i stand on the street
and look up at the building
counting to 59
is that the window
in georgie’s photo?
i wish grandpa could give me a sign

oh i live on the street where
my grandfather worked
more than 50 years ago
the 59th floor of the empire state building
did i ever visit him there? no
but my cousin georgie
has a wonderful photograph
where he’s sitting in grandpa’s chair
grandpa’s beside him
they are both smiling
both looking proud to be there
59 stories up in the air

- christine lavin lyrics

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